HOUSTON – Anthony Rene Perez, 26, of Alice, has been handed a nearly seven-year federal term of imprisonment following his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Indicted in November 2012, Perez pleaded guilty just a short time later – on Jan. 7, 2013.

Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Hayden Head sentenced Perez to a total of 70 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Perez came to the attention of law enforcement following outcries of sexual abuse by two minor children who had been temporarily in his care. The outcries occurred in May 2012. The children described numerous acts of sexual abuse committed against them by Perez while staying at his home during Spring Break 2011. One of the children stated that Perez had photographed the child while showering naked and then later showed the pornographic images of the same child on Perez’ computer.

The investigation led to a search of his former home in Alice in June 2012, at which time several electronic storage devices were discovered and found to contain either child pornography or evidence of its prior existence on the devices. More than 100 images and videos of child pornography were identified, but investigators found no evidence of the alleged sexual abuse described by the children on any of the electronic media.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lance Duke, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."